When it comes to aircraft lighting products, weight, cost, and life are three important considerations to aircraft owners. To reduce weight, many aircraft lighting products use plastic lenses instead of glass lenses. These lenses occasionally need to be removed, due to lens replacement or other light maintenance. Often, these lenses are attached to the aircraft by a metal retainer, which adds weight and costs to the device.
One other lens retention method involves molding retention clips into the lens itself, allowing the lens to snap into place when installed. The use of molded clips eliminates the need for a lens retainer thereby reducing weight and installation time; however, once the lens is installed, removing the lens is labor intensive because the molded clips are only accessible from the back or sides of the assembly. In addition to significant labor costs, lens removal from the back or sides is also undesirable because it increases the risk of accidental damage to the lens or other systems or devices located near the lens.